Indiana Fever coach Christie Sides wasn’t too pleased with the chirping superstar rookie Caitlin Clark has engaged in with the officials early in this season. In the first quarter of Tuesday’s game against the Los Angeles Sparks, the former Iowa standout picked up a technical foul, her second of the season.
Clark has never been bashful about “chatting” with officials over the course of a game. That part of her game also translated to the WNBA. But referees have hit her with two technical fouls in her first eight games.
It’s not something Sides is a very big fan of, either. After Tuesday’s 88-82 loss to the Sparks, the second-year Fever coach said there’s too much discussion with the officials happening on the floor.
“We’re spending too much time talking to the officials,” Sides said, per Matthew Byrne of Clutch Points. “We’ve got to leave that alone. We’ve got to just play our game and let them do their job and not put it in their hands. … We shouldn’t get technicals. Let me get the technicals.”
Clark’s first technical foul came at a critical point in the May 20 matchup against the Connecticut Sun. After a turnover and transition take foul against Clark, the rookie yelled at an official, who then hit her with the technical.
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That sequence allowed Connecticut to turn a 76-72 deficit into 76-76 game. The Sun eventually went on to win 88-84.
Clark has shown flashes of brilliance early in her career, and it was no different Tuesday night. She recorded a season-high 30 points while also dishing out six assists and grabbing five rebounds. The rookie also had three steals and three blocks on the defensive end.
As well as she’s played, there’s still a learning curve in the WNBA. And, apparently, that means figuring out a way to bite her tongue when it comes to griping towards officials.
Indiana sits at 1-7 on the season and will play the Seattle Storm on Thursday.
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